Tool for connecting electrical conductors and the like



MA'HR June 16, 1942.

TOOL FOR CONNEbTING ELECTIKI-GAL C'ONDUGTORS .AND THE LIKE Filed .March 18, 1940 9 Arman 5y Patented June 16 1942 TOOL FOR CONNECTING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS AND THE LIKE Aloysius 3,. Mahr, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to James R. Kearney Corporation, St. Louis, a corporation of Missouri Application March 18, 1940, Serial No. 324,531

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to tools and more specifically to tools adapted for use in mechanically attaching and electrically connecting together sections of electrical conductors and other elongated elements, the predominantobject of the invention being to provide an improved tool adapted for this purpose which is of Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of a portion of the tool looking toward the side thereof opposite to the side illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryperspective of the tool illustrating the manner of using same.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken on line 55 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates the improved tool generally. The tool A comprises a pair of members I and 2 which are pivoted together by a pivot element 3 to provide a pliers structure, said pivoted members being provided with jaw portions 4 and 5 extended in one direction from the location of the pivot element 3 and having handle portions 6 and I which are extended from the location of said pivot element in the opposite direction. V

The handle portion 6 of the member I of the tool A has a cavity 8 formed therein in which is disposed, partially, a knurling or roughening roll 9. The roll 9 is supported for rotation on a pin Iii which is fixedly seated in an opening formed in handle portion of the member I at said cavity 8, said roll 9 being interposed between a face at the base of the cavity and the inner face 1 of a head portion I 0' formed on the pin II], for rotation about said pin. Likewise the handle portion I of the member 2 of the tool is provided with a cavity II in which is disposed a second knurling or roughening roll I2. The roll I2 is supported for rotation on a pin I3 which is fixedly seated in an opening formed in the handle portion '1 of said member 2 in such manner that it is interposed between a face at the base of the cavity II and the inner face of a head portion I3 of said pin I3. The roll I2 is provided with opposed disk portions I4 which are of greater diameter than the roll so that flanges are provided which extend beyond the circumferential face of the roll as shown to the best advantage in Fig. 5. The rolls 9 and I2 are disposed in such related and alined positions that when the handle portions of the members I and 2 are spread apart or are moved toward each other, the rolls will likewise move away from and toward each other. It is to be noted that the pins I0 and I3 are inclined downwardly and outwardly relative to the members I and 2 by which they are supported. The reason for this will be hereinafter explained.

At the side of the tool A opposite to the side thereof at which the knurling rolls 9 and I2 are located a sleeve crimping means I5 is provided.

This sleeve crimping means I5' comprises a pair 'of arms I6 and I! which are disposed in recesses formed in the handle portions of the members I and 2 and which are arranged in overlapping relation at their upper ends, said overlapping portions being pivotally connected together by means of a pivot element I8. At their opposite ends the arms I6 and I I are pivotally attached to the handle portions 6 and I of the members I and 2 of the tool, the arm I6 being pivotally attached to the handle portion 6 bya pivot element I6 and the arm I! being pivotally attached to the handle portion I by a pivot element I1. The associated portions of the arms located immediately below the pivot element I9, which pivotally attaches said arms together at their upper ends, are shaped to provide crimping jaw portions I9 and 20. The jaw portion of each of the arms I6 and I1 is provided with a semicircular depression from the opposed, outer ends of which straight faces lead in opposite directions, and when the jaw portions I9 and 29 of said arms I6 and I! are drawn together, the semicircular depressions provide a substantially circular opening and the straight faces of the jaw portions of the opposed arms are spaced apart slightly as shown in Fig. 1.

In the use of the improved tool disclosed herein the end portion of each section of electrical conductor to be connected is knurled or roughened as indicated in Fig. 4, wherein the sections of electrical conductors are designated by the reference character C and the knurled or roughened end portions thereof are designated by the reference character C'. The knurling or roughening operations of the end portions of the conductors are performed by spreading the handle portions 6 and I of the tool A and extending the end portion of the conductor to be knurled or roughened between the rolls 9 and I2, and between the handle portions 6 and I because of the angular d sposition of said rolls, as suggested by broken lines in Fig. 2. The knurling or roughening operation is started with the rolls 9 and I2 located at a point inwardly of the end of the conductor and the handles of the tool are squeezed together to cause the peripheral faces of the rolls to forcibly engage the face of the conductor, the tool then being drawn longitudinally of the end portion of the conductor until the rolls pass off of the end of the conductor. This operation is repeated around the circumferential face of the conductor until substantially the entire face of the end portion thereof has been knurled or roughened.

When the end portions of the conductors which are to be connected have been knurled or roughened as described, said end portions are introduced into opposite ends of a sleeve S formed of copper or other good electrical conducting material, and said sleeve is crimped on the end portions of the conductors by means of the crimping means E5 of the tool. The sleeve crimping operation is performed by spreading the handles 6 and 1 of the tool and passing them downwardly over the sleeve S in straddled relation with respect thereto until the sleeve is positioned between the crimping jaw portions I9 and 20 of the arms l6 and H. The tool handles are then squeezed together to form a crimp S in the sleeve S and this operation is performed a number of times to provide a series of crimps spaced longitudinally of the sleeve. Preferably the tool is rotated about the sleeve being crimped as different crimps are made so that the outward- 1y extended fins of adjacent crimps which are produced by the straight faces of the crimping jaw portions l9 and 20 extend in different directions as shown in Fig. 4.

When a pair of conductors have been connected with the aid of the improved tool disclosed herein, as described above, very secure mechanical attachment and good electrical connection between the conductors are provided. Also such work is done in a convenient manner with a very simple tool which may be employed for other purposes when it is not being used to connect conductors.

ifl

I claim:

1. A crimping attachment for a, pliers having a pair of members pivoted together by a pivot element to provide the pliers with freely movable operating handles at one side of the pivot ele-- ment and jaws at the opposite side of the pivot element which are movable in response to movement of the handles, said crimping attachment comprising a pair of arms, a pivot member for pivotally connecting said arms together at corresponding end portions thereof, and a pair of pivot members located at the opposite end portions of said arms which pivotally connect one of the arms to one of the pivoted members of the pliers and the other of the arms to the other of the pivoted members of the pliers, said arms being pivoted to the pivoted members of the pliers at points located between the outer ends of the handles of the pliers and the pivot element of said pivoted members of the pliers, and crimping jaw portions forming parts of said arms.

2. A crimping attachment for a pliers having a pair of members pivoted together by a pivot element to provide the pliers with freely movable operating handles at one side of the pivot element and jaws at the opposite side of the pivot element which are movable in response to movement of the handles, said crimping attachment comprising a pair of arms disposed in recesses formed in the pivoted members of the pliers, a pivot member for pivotally connecting said arms together at corresponding end portions thereof, and a pair of pivot members located at the opposite end portions of said arms which pivotally connect one of the arms to one of the pivoted members of the pliers and the other of the arms to the other of the pivoted members of the pliers, said arms being pivoted to the pivoted members of the pliers at points located between the outer ends of the handles of the pliers and the pivot element of said pivoted members of the pliers, and crimping jaw portions forming parts of said arms.

ALOYSIUS J. MAHR. 

